MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to modify the league’s concussion protocol following a joint investigation into the league’s procedures after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury against the Buffalo Bills last month.
The league and players’ union said in a joint statement Saturday that the outcome of the Tagovailoa case “was not what was intended when the Protocol was drafted.” As a result, language addressing abnormality of balance/stability was added to the league’s protocol list of symptoms that would keep a player from returning to action.
In the first half of the Sept. 25 game against Buffalo, Tagovailoa took a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano, which caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his feet.
Tagovailoa was immediately taken to the locker room and taken through the NFL’s concussion protocol, after which he was cleared of any head injury. He started the third quarter, drawing criticism from viewers about why he was allowed to return to the game.
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